'The Italian Job'
Staged in the heart of the Ligurian Riviera, more than 100 captains and industry professionals were invited to enjoy a weekend of golf, tennis, spa treatments and fine dining as part of the second edition of Amico & Co.'s 'The Italian Job'.…
Staged in the heart of the Ligurian Riviera, more than 100 captains and
industry professionals were invited to enjoy a weekend of golf, tennis,
spa treatments and fine dining as part of the second edition of Amico
& Co.'s 'The Italian Job'.
In partnership with Pesto Sea Group, Amico hosts the event primarily as a chance to say 'thank you' to the captains and owners who have used its services and facilities throughout the year. And although the weekend maintained a social and informal focus, it comes at the time of year when most captains have a chance to assess and review their budgets and schedules, therefore giving the hosts a valuable opportunity to resonate in the minds of the industry’s decision-makers.
This particular approach proved to be a success, as many of the captains in attendance admitted to being drawn in by the unobtrusive format. “As captains, we get invited to a lot of events like this and we cannot go to all of them due to our schedules so we have to pick carefully,” explained Captain Matthew Pownall-Jones of 52m Were Dreams. “I only go to one or two events a year and I came to Amico’s this year and last because of the great activities and relaxed atmosphere.”
Captain John Fleckenstein of 62m Apogee has a strong relationship with the Italian yard and was also attending for a much-needed chance to unwind before taking the boat over to the US. “We are a very busy yacht because the owners are US-based and we do two seasons; the summer in the Med and the winter in the US,” he explained. “It is easier for me to get all the boat’s repair work done in Italy because I trust the yard and I know that the quality of the services will be up to scratch. We don’t consider doing the work in the US because the facilities are not quite there yet for a yacht of our size. Having said that, some of the US yards are now making big investments so I am sure it will only be a matter of time before they catch up with Europe.”
The weekend culminated in a lavish awards ceremony held at La Meridiana Relais in Garlenda, where prizes were given to the winners of the golf and tennis tournaments. The Superyacht Group also held a captain’s competition for the chance to win a VIP trip to the Global Superyacht Forum, to be held 17-19 November in Amsterdam, of which Captain Paul O’Brien of motoryacht Zulu was the lucky winner.
The 2014 edition of ‘The Italian Job’ was deemed a great success by both organisers and attendees, with promises to make it a permanent fixture in the yard’s calendar. While direct business discussions may have taken a back seat for some, the event remains a subtle but effective way to remind those in attendance of the benefits of bringing one’s yacht to Amico for refit in the context of an enjoyable weekend away in the region.
For more photos, check out our Facebook album here.
The event’s technical sponsors included Alewijnse, Amico Loano Shipyard, Boero Yacht Coatings, Cambiaso Risso Marine, Peninsula Petroleum and Sat@Sea. And is supported Bvlgari by Moncada Hispania, Natoli, Prestige Cars, Slam, Zeffrino. The Superyacht Group was proud to be official media partner of the event for the second year in a row.
In partnership with Pesto Sea Group, Amico hosts the event primarily as a chance to say 'thank you' to the captains and owners who have used its services and facilities throughout the year. And although the weekend maintained a social and informal focus, it comes at the time of year when most captains have a chance to assess and review their budgets and schedules, therefore giving the hosts a valuable opportunity to resonate in the minds of the industry’s decision-makers.
This particular approach proved to be a success, as many of the captains in attendance admitted to being drawn in by the unobtrusive format. “As captains, we get invited to a lot of events like this and we cannot go to all of them due to our schedules so we have to pick carefully,” explained Captain Matthew Pownall-Jones of 52m Were Dreams. “I only go to one or two events a year and I came to Amico’s this year and last because of the great activities and relaxed atmosphere.”
The Superyacht Group's Luciano Aglioni (left) and Captain John Fleckenstein (right) enjoying a round of golf
“With
a lot of industry events that are targeted at captains, you can often
feel that you are constantly being sold to,” added Captain Ian Paxton of
38m Camelot. “But this weekend really is just about the yard
saying 'thank you' for our business and a chance to relax and enjoy some
golf. It is still an important networking opportunity, as it keeps up
the relationship with the yard and you may meet some interesting
contacts, but you can exchange business cards and follow up at a later
date - you do not feel like you are being bombarded.”Captain John Fleckenstein of 62m Apogee has a strong relationship with the Italian yard and was also attending for a much-needed chance to unwind before taking the boat over to the US. “We are a very busy yacht because the owners are US-based and we do two seasons; the summer in the Med and the winter in the US,” he explained. “It is easier for me to get all the boat’s repair work done in Italy because I trust the yard and I know that the quality of the services will be up to scratch. We don’t consider doing the work in the US because the facilities are not quite there yet for a yacht of our size. Having said that, some of the US yards are now making big investments so I am sure it will only be a matter of time before they catch up with Europe.”
The weekend culminated in a lavish awards ceremony held at La Meridiana Relais in Garlenda, where prizes were given to the winners of the golf and tennis tournaments. The Superyacht Group also held a captain’s competition for the chance to win a VIP trip to the Global Superyacht Forum, to be held 17-19 November in Amsterdam, of which Captain Paul O’Brien of motoryacht Zulu was the lucky winner.
The 2014 edition of ‘The Italian Job’ was deemed a great success by both organisers and attendees, with promises to make it a permanent fixture in the yard’s calendar. While direct business discussions may have taken a back seat for some, the event remains a subtle but effective way to remind those in attendance of the benefits of bringing one’s yacht to Amico for refit in the context of an enjoyable weekend away in the region.
For more photos, check out our Facebook album here.
The event’s technical sponsors included Alewijnse, Amico Loano Shipyard, Boero Yacht Coatings, Cambiaso Risso Marine, Peninsula Petroleum and Sat@Sea. And is supported Bvlgari by Moncada Hispania, Natoli, Prestige Cars, Slam, Zeffrino. The Superyacht Group was proud to be official media partner of the event for the second year in a row.
Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.
